A Fortuna Police Department officer testified Tuesday that cell phones believed to belong to the four defendants accused of breaking into an apartment and discharging a canister of bear spray while searching for stolen pot contained photos of the victims and text messages relating to the incident.

Officer Ryan Richardson was the second police officer called to the stand Tuesday by Deputy District Attorney Luke Brownfield after witness Perdeda Cowan failed to appear. Brownfield told Judge Marilyn Miles that he had not heard from Cowan, a victim of the home invasion who was set to return for cross examination in the preliminary hearing.

Brownfield indicated that Cowan is expected back in court today.

The hearing will determine if there is enough evidence to hold James O'Neil, Wyatt Williamson, Gregory Stephens and Trevor Bohn over for trial. All four men have pleaded not guilty to 11 felony counts, including conspiracy to commit a crime, assault with a caustic chemical and false imprisonment by violence.

Richardson testified that on Sept. 20, the day after the home invasion occurred, a search warrant was obtained to examine six cell phones -- three believed to belong to Stephens and one each to O'Neil, Williamson and Bohn -- that had been taken into evidence by the officers who searched the four men prior to their arrest.

Richardson said photos of Eli Scott -- one of the victims of the home invasion -- were found on cell phones believed to belong to Stephens, O'Neil and Williamson. Richardson also read text messages found on an Apple iPhone, which he said he believed belonged to Stephens.

"This one is dated Sept. 19, 2012, 6:56 a.m.," he said. "It is marked as being from Jim O'Neil. It says -- I'm quoting -- 'Let's me, you and Whatt,' I think that's a misspelling, 'go knock on that f****** door this morning."

Richardson also said he was one of the officers initially called to respond to the Sept. 19 home invasion. Upon arrival, Richardson said he saw a number of people gathered outside one of the apartments yelling and shouting. Richardson said he gravitated to one man -- later identified as Scott -- who was shirtless and covered in orange spray.

"He was obviously in pain," Richardson said. "He was pacing and breathing heavily."

Richardson said after briefly interviewing Scott about the incident, he placed the man in the front seat of his patrol car and drove him past the two vehicles that contained the four suspects. Richardson said Scott was able to identify all four men as being involved in the incident.

Richardson said he was given permission to enter Scott's apartment, where he found a can of bear spray on the living room floor. Richardson said he also found what appeared to be orange spray on the sheets in the bedroom that Scott and Cowan shared.

"The apartment was in disarray," he said. "It appeared that a struggle had occurred."

While interviewing Scott later in the day, after he had been treated in the emergency room, Richardson said Scott told him he had managed to hit one of the subjects who entered his apartment across the head with a lamp. Richardson said Scott also told him that he recognized one of the men who entered his bedroom -- Williamson -- and that he had "worked with him in the past."

Richardson is expected to return to the stand today.

Fortuna Police Department Sgt. Matt Eberhardt was also called to the stand Tuesday, and testified he was the first to arrive on scene after receiving a report about the pepper spray incident at the Fortuna apartment complex. As he pulled up, Eberhardt said he noticed "three or four individuals that didn't appear to fit the area." All of the men, Eberhardt said, appeared to be "walking with purpose, faster than normal."

"My attention was directed to one individual because he looked tensed up," Eberhardt said. "I noticed he had red eyes and a red face."

As the men separated, Eberhardt said he followed the man -- later identified as Stephens -- to his pickup. When he was unable to read the plates on Stephens' vehicle, Eberhardt said he used his unmarked patrol car to partially block the roadway at the intersection of Twelfth Street and Loni Drive.

He testified that he detained Stephens until another sergeant could arrive.

Eberhardt said he then moved across the street to speak with a man who identified himself as a resident of the apartment complex and a witness. The man told Eberhardt he believed Stephens to be in possession of bear pepper spray.

Under questioning by Robinson, Eberhardt testified that none of the men made an effort to conceal their faces while exiting the apartment complex. Eberhardt also stated that only Stephens displayed signs that he had been exposed to a chemical irritant.